Botox

I started a new thread. I felt this is a continuation of the ulcers and calcinosis.

Today my husband and I saw the certified hand surgeon and I am elgible for botox to increase blood flow in hands. On July 7, Thursday, we will see my rheumatologist. who is a research scientist. Her expertise is scleroderma and I will get her feedback and opinion on botox. I see her on a yearly basis.

Although I've certainly got wrinkles, I have no experience of botox so can't advise you. However, I've included a link for you about Botox injections which I hope you'll find interesting and informative and also one of our Patient stories which extols the good results of this treatment.

It's very good news that you are eligible have the botox on your hands; I do hope it will make an improvement to the awful ulcers and calcinosis from which you've been suffering. Hopefully, your rheumatologist will be able to advise you further when you see her tomorrow and give you the confidence to undergo the treatment.

I have botox injections around my right eye, as I have an overactive nerve there and it causes my face to spasm. More annoying than anything else, and I wink at people and they look at me funny hehe. I have been getting the injections for about 6 years now, it does wonders for my problem as it stops my nerve from causing my face to spasm and it does not do anything else, and my muscles move fine. Not sure how it would work for your hands and circulation though, I understand that it basically destroys or freezes the muscles. That is why it is good for wrinkles as it prevents your muscles from causing the wrinkles. I told my doctor I wanted some shots in my left eye as well, otherwise I am going to be as smooth as a baby's bottom on the right and an old wrinkle prune on the left hehe.

I hope it works for you but I would be curious to see what they say and how it works.

I saw my rheumatologist today who I see once a year and she is all for botox if it's warranted for sores that are big and will not heal. I thought I had a calcinosis on the tip of finger, but she feels it's ischemia, or some other type of sore, not calcinosis. She ordered x-rays on each hand taking three different images. The sore is not big enough to have the botox and for the ulcers on the knuckles the botox is not effective.

I am relieved that I do not need the botox and hoping the sore will not become worse.

It sounds as if your consultant thought that the botox for your ulcers wouldn't be warranted, so that's good news that you won't have to have the treatment. I've included a link to Digital Ischemia in Scleroderma which explains more about the problem.

I do hope that your sore will not become any worse and will heal up very soon.

Thank you so much for responding Jo, Buttons & Susie. You all have been so very helpful to me and I deeply appreciate it.

Jo - I will be reading the Digital Ischemia you provided. My rheumatologist suspects it is, but wants to be sure, so she felt the x-rays would be conclusive.

Buttons - I feel my rheumatologist is an expert when it comes to various types of scleroderma. She is a research scientist specifically for scleroderma so I feel that I'm in very good hands with her and I trust her, most importantly, my husband Mike has high regards for her also.

Susie - Oh my goodness! Am I ever relieved! I've lost sleep over this since I've spoken to the hand surgeon. It is nice to have a second opinion and know that my rheumatologist is an expert in her field when it comes to scleroderma.

How fortunate for you, Annie...that your rheumatologist is a research scientist! Quite a coincidence, as the one I just lost (as she moved back nearer to family) ALSO was a research scientist, working 2 1/2 days seeing patients and 2 1/2 days researching!

I REALLY miss her , although the rheumatologist I now have was an associate of hers and as they are friends, should she have questions, I'm hopeful they could confab!